


Moon Over Frozen Waves

by taichara



Category: Sengoku Basara
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-13 18:05:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4531830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taichara/pseuds/taichara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Battle of Sekigahara, the political map is changed again, and might be changed forever.  Which means changing one's tactics, no matter how unwillingly.</p>
<p>Of course, Date will always go at his own choices sideways; but at least this time ... he has company?  What?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moon Over Frozen Waves

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chime/gifts).



"You sure about this, sir?

"Katakura, sir, Lord Date is --"

"Is it really alright for Lord Date to --"

"Why aren't you gone with --"

There was no escaping the horde, no matter how Kojuurou tried. From one end of Yonezawa to the other, the men followed him; they needed -- desperately, apparently -- to make their anxieties perfectly clear. Over and over and over. The lot of them were beginning to sound like flapping chickens, and Kojuurou was already up to his ears in flapping chickens. He'd had to send messengers out to the merchantry twice already just to make doubly sure Yonezawa castle was going to be prepared for the onslaught that was about to land within its walls ...

_This late in the autumn we should be stockpiling for when the snow buries us, not preparing to host dozens of guests. Doubly so, this soon after Sekigahara._

_Lord Masamune, honestly --_

"Sir --!"

" _That's enough!_ "

Kojuurou came to a halt so sudden the nightingale flooring beneath his feet squeaked in protest -- neatly sidestepped the six-man-pileup that nearly plowed into his back -- and, with a stony face nearly as blank as the moon itself, stared down at the miscreants.

"Lord Masamune has made his decision, and we will abide by it."

What Kojuurou didn't mention was the hours of heated debate he'd had with Oshuu's lord; then the patient explanations, then the arguing -- and then the resignation amidst the tiny hints that there was a change on the wind.

"He has not traveled alone, as you all know. I seem to recall several of you were disappointed in not drawing successful lots, as a matter of fact ..."

\-- guilty looks all around now; good --

"... and I expect him to return with his guests within another day. And when he returns I expect Yonezawa to be ready. Do you understand?"

A chorus of " _Yes sir!_ " split the air, and Kojuurou allowed himself one tiny, infinitesimal moment to hope that this was not a terrible, hilariously terrible mistake.

-*-

Hours. Hours of waiting in the saddle surrounded by half his men with the bite of the autumn wind catching at him and making his mount's mane rustle, watching the fishermen and merchants scurry back and forth nervously (wondering why he was there at all, no doubt), scanning the dull pewter of the ocean. Waiting. Watching. 

It was _boring_ is what it was; but the moment that massive, bristling warship -- and it was a smaller version, that was the hilarious thing -- heaved into view and angled for the wharves, Masamune already knew it was going to be worth it.

Then he spotted the pale-haired hulk storming to the front deck, and it was _definitely_ worth it.

" _What the HELL_ , Date!"

The moment the indignant howl split the air, Masamune was grinning like a fiend. Oh, he could just _guess_ what the problem was, what with never seeing that much clothing on Motochika's body in all the times they'd clashed on the battlefield --

So of course he just volleyed back, with interest. His grin never wavered.

"What's wrong, Chosokabe? A gentle fall breeze too much for the so-called 'Demon'? You getting _soft_ down there on your comfy southern island --?"

"You scrawny little --"

Suddenly the wharves swarmed with pirates. Motochika roared at the front of the pack, swinging the barbed monstrosity he called a weapon, and Masamune was _more_ than happy to oblige him. Two blades was more than enough for now --

"Let's go, boys! He wants a brawl, we're going to give it to him!"

Hapless fishermen scattered to the winds, afraid for their lives, as the two mobs collided and the air filled with the sounds of slashing, scissoring steel, howls of battle-cries and furious chi. 

It was all over in moments.

_Ha._

\-- and when the dust cleared, Motochika was forming up his mates into neat lines to claim the spare horses Masamune had led from Yonezawa while Masamune had his cavalry checking over the tack. Both men were grinning from ear to ear, now. 

(Not that that reassured the terrified peasantry one little bit.)

"Hah. You keep holed up in this icy hinterland, Date, no wonder you're so quick to snap and bite --"

"Keeps me on my toes. I _suppose_ I'll have to see just how soft you have it on Shikoku one day soon, maybe I'll move it to the top of the list of soon-to-be-mine --"

"You just keep on dreaming."

Flash of weaponry, flicker of chi; then they were laughing. Pirates and cavalry heaved silent sighs of relief in near-unison, unnoticed by their leaders ~

"Nah, I'm kidding, Chosokabe. I'd have Mouri for a neighbour and you can _keep_ dealing with that bastard, I don't want him."

Motochika rolled his good eye, and his head right along with it. 

"Don't ruin the day. Alright, mates, saddle up and let's get going before we freeze to death. Lead the way, Date, and we'll follow your navigation."

-*-

Overnight, Yonezawa Castle had turned into festival grounds barely contained by its venerable stone walls. The courtyards and baileys were nothing short of ground zero for the most genial of riots -- banners flapped in the chill bite of the wind, the skies crackled with odd bursts of fireworks (explosives oh-so-helpfully supplied by the Demon of Shikoku and his crew), the air bloomed with raucous cries and gales of laughter. Even the people of the castle town below the hill were getting involved in some entertainment of their own.

... But maybe not the physicians who had to deal with the side-effects of drunken play-dueling, Kojuurou mused. There had already been somewhere around eight of those, by his last reckoning --

"What're you doing up here on the lookout, Kojuurou? You're missing the party."

Masamune sidled up beside him, bottle under one arm and two cups in one hand, looking somewhere between irritated and entertained. Well then, everything must be doing smoothly ...

"You've been well occupied with Chosokabe's company this evening, and I thought I'd take the opportunity to scan over the castle for signs of real unrest. Or flames."

That sobered Masamune and right quick. Fire was nothing to toy with in a crowded castle-fortress, and with the festivities it would be stupidly easy ...

"Nothing?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking of going back down, in fact. It's all playing out surprisingly well. And -- judging from the bruises I expect you'll be sporting in the morning, having decided to play host instead of hostile force hasn't changed _that_ much in the long run?"

Masamune juggled one cup into the crook of his arm, filling the other one and holding it out expectantly towards Kojuurou, who accepted it with a hint of a smile. Then he shrugged, an almost flippant gesture that belied the glint in his eye.

"It's what you've always pressed me on, isn't it, Kojuurou? I _might_ even admit it might work, provided Chosokabe doesn't run screaming from brisk Oshuu weather like a little girl."

Then he sighed, a gesture so unusual Kojuurou paused with the cup halfway to his lips to watch his liege curiously; but Masamune only shrugged again, a match to his Right Eye's earlier hint of amusement now on his own face.

"Times are changing. Can't knock my head on the stone ignoring it forever.

"I'll still gain all the land under the sun -- I'm just going to change my approach. They'll never see it coming ... but it can come later. I'm busy."

A few clouds skidded across the sky, and the moon glinted down over Yonezawa and its riotous inhabitants. Masamune glanced skyward, and his smile turned suddenly feral.

"Come on, Kojuurou. This party's just getting started."


End file.
